Box



C. -H. BOMBAHDIE.

Patented Ja11.27,l920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BOMBARDIE, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO WIREBOUNDS PATENTS COMPANY, 0F KITTERY, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Application led February 20, 1917. Serial No. 149,925.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BoM- BARBIE, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented an Improvement in Boxes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to boxes and more particularly to that form of box commonly known as a crate wherein the sides are made of spaced slats. The purpose of my invention is to provide a substantial box with a removable lid which may be utilized either as an open-top receptacle or as closed shipping container and which may be easily brought into box form and closed and reopened repeatedly without the use of special apparatusand without impairing the strength of the box itself.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of one illustrative embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective vlew of the box with the cover removed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box with the cover in place and fastened;y

Fig; 3 is a perspective view of the blank from which the side and bottom sections of the box are made;

Fig. 4 is a View of one of the end sections;

Fig. 5 is a uiew of one of the lower corners of the box as seen from the outside; and

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the cover wires.

Referring to Fig. 3, the bodyof the box herein shown is constructed from side and bottom sections 1, 3 and 5, embodying cleats 7, 9 and 11 respectively and suitable side material, here shown as spaced slats 13. The several sections are assembled with the cleats in alinement and secured together in coperative foldable relationship by suitable binding wires. I have here shown wires 15 secured b staples straddling the same and "passing t rough the side material into the cleats and other wires 17 secured tothe side material and disposed between the cleats. As will be well understood by those familiar with the art, the three sections can be folded up in coperative relationship with end sections about to'be described and the cleats 7 and 11 will mate with the cleats 9, forming a mortise and tenon joint therewith in the embodiment of the invention shown, and the wires 15 and 17 will encircle the box so made.

In the present example of the invention the slats 13 which are next to the lower edges of the box are spaced from the ends of the cleats, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, while the slats nearest the upper edges of the box are flush with the ends of the cleats for a purpose presently to be described. The spacing of the slats near the lower corners provides for an open corner of the crate which is desirable as it will provide for thorough ventilation of the contents. Since the sides of the box are constructed in this manner I secure the sections together 1n a somewhat closer proximity than would otherwise be necessary, so that the wires '15 will be tensioned over theangle formed by the mating cleats, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and bite into 'the wood slightly at this plac'e. By so constructing the-crate a firm product is provided for, whereas if the wires 15 were not tensioned over the cleats there would be an opportunity vfor lost motion which would make the crate wabbly.

Suitable end sections 19, which may be in the form disclosed in Fig. 4, are assembled with the blank of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the end section 19 may comprise a cleat 21 corresponding to the fourth side of the box and adapted to mate with thecleats 7 and 11 to frame the ends of the completed box, suitable wall material 23, here in the form of spaced vertical slats, and means for securing the wall material in position at a location remote from the cleat 21.. In the present embodiment of the invention, this means takes the form of a' second cleat or batten adapted to interlock with the cleats 7 and 11 of the side sections. t For this purpose the cleat or batten 25 may be provided with suitable tenons and the mortises of the cleats 7 and 11 may be made of such length as to receive both the tenons of the cleat 9 and those of the batten 25 (see Fig. 5). It will be apparent that the end sections may be placed with the battens 25 on the cleats 9 and theside sectionsy folded up to bring the parts into the form of an opentop or five faced box.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that in forming the end sections Iv utilize but two vertical slats, spaced from each other and from the ends of the cleat 21 and batten 25. By this arrangement a substantial end.

\ parts of the box body in position and I have 'here disclosed separate wires 27 corresponding to the fourth side of the box and of suiiicient length to reach between the ends of the wires 15. .These wires 27 have provision whereby they may be detaohably sec red tothe wires 15 to form continuous bindings encirclin the box ends as shown in- Fig. l to hol all the parts together. While any suitable means may be provided for fastening together the wires 15 and 27, I have here disclosed them as having their ends formed into coperating portions of socalled Tyloop fastenings. These fastenings are formed by returning the end of the wire along the lstanding part and intertwisting it therewith to form a' loop, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. To secure together two wires the loop at the end reeved through the loop at the end of the other and bent over to form a hook. The parts are so proportioned that the throat or bent part of this hook consists of a doubleJ thickness of intertwisted wire and not of two parallel lengths thereof. In other words, the wire which forms the hook is bent inwardly of the loop and not across the loop. Much greater strength and durability is provided for in this manner. A fastening such as described may be readily engaged and disengaged without the use of a special tool and without impairing the strength of the wire. I

I provide a cover 29 for use' with the box described and I have here shown this cover as comprising suitable slats 31 adapted to extend along the length of the box andrest on the cleats 21 and connected together and reinforced at the ends Iby thebattens 33.

The cover 29 may be provided withl wires 35 corresponding to thewires 17 of the box body and adapted to be engaged therewith to form box-encircling binding members when the cover is in position, as shown in Fig. 2. For this purpose the wires 35 and y17 may be provided with suitable coperating portions of tyloop fastenings.

When it is desired to fasten the cover on the box to form a closed shipping receptacle, the'wires 27 are removed from the cleats 21 by releasing thel fastenings binding them to wires 15, the cover is placed in position and the'wires 27. readjusted over the cover 29 and once more secured to the wires 15 sol that continuous binding wires are provided,'

encircling the box body. and cover and hold ing the latterfrmly in place. The wires 3.5 and 17 may also be fastened together,

of one is' It will be recalled that in describing the side sections shown in Fig. 3, it was polnted out that the slats 13 nearest the upper corners of the box were flush with the ends of the cleats. By reference to Figs. 1. and 2, it will be seen that the slats of the cover are also so positioned that they reach to the y box corner and form an overlapping joint slightly into the meeting edges of the slats ercise of special skill.

with the slats of the box body instead of providing a space along the edge of the box, such as is formed at the lower edges. This is to provide a firm bearing for securing the wire bindings about the box when the tyloop fasteners or similar fastening devices are engaged with each other. These fastenings are so tensioned that the wires will cut and bind the cover firmly in place.

It will be seen from the description above that I have provided .a .box and in particular a crate well adapted for the' storage or shipment of fruit and the like, which is not only a strong shipping container when closed but a convenient and substantialA storage receptacle when the cover is removed and stored away. Furthermore, the whole box may be conveniently shipped or stored in knock-down or shook form and readily assembled7 either as an open-top receptacle or as a closed shipping receptacle without the use of a special tool or the ex- No .metal fastenings in the nature of nails are utilized and the box may Irbe assembled and disassembled and opened or closed an indefinite number of times without in any way impairing its quality. The covers 29 are simple and can be compactly stored when the box is being used without a cover and do not embody any loose partsl likely to be lost.

It will be recognized that the box as a closed shipping receptacle illustrated in Fig. 2 preserves practically unimpaired the advantage of boxes of the wirebound t wherein a-structure composed of light side y material and reinforcing cleats is supported against the shocks of fuse by universally' the box is used without the cover, it will still have encircling'bindings around the ends and will -therefore depend on the tensile strength of the wire rather than on the strength of the wooden slats and cleats for resistance to breakage. It will be noted that' the upper cleat 21 is secured in position by the binding and forms a handle by which the box can "be lifted and carried for short distances.

` Having thus described in detail one illustrative embodiment of the invention,v what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wirebound box comprising cleats outlining the ends of the box; side material for three sides of the box; the cleats corresponding to the fourth side being unattached to side material; a separatelid; and wire .and a common fasteninglmeans for securing the s1de and end sectlons together 1n open top box form or for securing the lid.

3. A wirebound box comprising relatively foldable side and bottom sections connected by wire bindings; end sections embraced thereby; and wires separable per se uniting said wire bindings across the top of the box and adapted to hold the parts together with or without a lid.

4. A wirebound box comprising relatively lfoldable side and bottom sections connected by wire bindings; end sections embraced thereby; a separable lid for the box; and means for use with or without the lid to hold the parts in box form.

5. A wirebound box comprising relatively foldable side and bottom sections connected by wire bindings; end sections embraced thereby; a separate lid for the box; and de,- tachable means for use with or without the lid to hold the parts in box form.

6. A box comprising side yand bottom sec- A tions each embodying side material and cleats, binding wires secured to the ends of said sections and between the ends thereof and holding,together thex sections in Acooperative foldable relationship, end sections `arranged to interlock with the cleats aforesaid and having cleats corresponding to the fourth side of the box, a cover adapted to rest on said last mentioned` cleats said cover carrying a wire or wires corresponding to the lntermediate binding wlre or wires of the side and bottom sections and Vhaving provision for detachable engagement with the same, and separate wires adapted to co operate with the binding wires atfthe ends of the side and bottom sections having provision for detachable joinder therewith to form continuous box-encircling bindings with or without the cover in place.

7. A box comprlsing side and bottom sections each embodying side material and cleats, binding wires secured to said cleats and holding the sections together in cooperative foldable relationship end sections arranged to interlock with the cleats aforesaid and having cleats corresponding to the `fourth side of the box, a cover adapted to rest on the latter cleats, and separate lengths of wire corresponding to the fourth or cover side ofthe box having provision for detachable joinder with the binding wires aforesaid to form continuous bindings encircling the box with or Without the cover in Place 8. A box comprising body sections secured together in coperative foldable relationship by binding wires, end sections adapted to interlock with said body sections, a separate cover,- and wires separate from the body, end sections and cover having provision for joinder vwith the wires of the body to form continuous bindings encircling the box with'or without the cover in place.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication.

CHARLES H. BOMBARDIE. 

